chorda tendinea

[ kawr-duh ten-din-ee-uh ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural chor·dae ten·din·e·ae [kawr, -dee ten-, din, -ee-ee].

1. any of the tendons extending from the papillary muscles to the atrioventricular valves and preventing the valves from moving into the atria during ventricular contraction.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chorda tendinea¹

1800–10; < New Latin: tendinous cord